Can dumping and unscrambling apparatus



March 8, 1966 E. c. KIRKPATRICK CAN DUMPING AND UNSGRAMBLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 10, 1963 INVENTOR EDW/N C. K/RKPA TR/CK March 8, 1966 E. c. KIRKPATRICK 3,239,085

CAN DUMPING AND UNSCRAMBLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 0 INVENTOR.

\ gon w 0- KIRKPATRICK M wmq i A T TOR/VEYS March 8, 1966 E. c. KIRKPATRICK CAN DUMPING AND UNSCRAMBLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 10, 1963 INVENTOR. I EDWIN 0. KIRKPATRICK i A T TORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,239,086 CAN DUMPING AND UNSCRAMBLING APPARATUS Edwin C. Kirkpatrick, San Pedro, Califi, assignor to Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Oct. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 315,222 9 Claims. (Cl. 214307) This invention relates generally to the handling of cans in a canning production line, and more particularly it relates to an improved apparatus for dumping and unscrambling filled cans after they have completed the cooking process and are ready for labeling and packing.

The manner in which large numbers of cans are handled during the various phases of a commercial packing operation has become increasingly important. It has been determined that any creasing, scratching or denting of the cans which occurs during handling increases the possibility of the eventual failure or perforation of the can wall, and this could ultimately allow harmful bacteria to enter the can and dangerously contaminate its contents. This need for extreme care in handling cans to prevent such damage increased considerably with the development of cans made from softer metals such as aluminum which are more easily dented than the well known tin plated sheet steel cans.

In the standard canning procedure the cans are packed with the food product, sealed and piled in random fashion in large steel baskets which are then placed in cooking retorts. When the baskets are removed from the retorts, the cans must be fed into a canning line so that they can be individually labeled and properly orientated for packing in boxes. It is during this transition from the baskets to the canning line where the cans must be dumped from the cooking baskets and unscrambled into a single file order for the canning line that the problem of handling the cans without damage is the greatest, particularly with the aforesaid soft metal cans.

It is therefore one major object of the present invention to provide a can dumping and unscrambling apparatus that receives the cans from a retort basket and unscrambles them with an improved handling ease and sensitivity that minimizes falling and other unnecessary motion and contact between cans.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved dumping and unscrambling apparaus for use in a canning line that is adaptable for flat type cans whose diameter is greater than their height, and more particularly an apparatus that is capable of accommodating a large quantity of such cans in a relatively short period, thereby providing a high output at a controlled rate of flow, while also reducing any damaging contact between cans to a minimum.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus wherein the cans are dispensed from a retort basket without falling on each other and at a rate that can be easily controlled so that the cans will spread out as they are unscrambled and fed into the canning line conveyor in single file.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for dumping and unscrambling cans from a retort and directing them into a conveying line that is reliable, easy to operate, and which requires a minimum of maintenance.

Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a can unscrambling device for a canning line wherein the cans are all placed in the on end position as they are moved along to prevent them from rolling off the apparatus.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention contemplates an apparatus having in combination a "ice pivotal lifting cradle that raises a retort basket filled with randomly arranged cans. The cradle is located in a particular position relative to a first conveyor belt so that cans will slide onto it from the basket retained by the cradle without falling on each other. The cradles position is adjustable in its angular relationship to the first conveyor belt and it is also provided with an adjustable door. This latter feature enables the operator to control the rate of flow of cans from the retort basket while also minimizing the chances for any denting or damage to the cans. On the first conveyor belt the cans may be bunched together as they leave the retort basket within the cradle and it is thus necessary to spread the cans apart, and eliminate any stacks of cans. This latter step in the unscrambling process is accomplished by a series of sloped can positioning rods located in line with and at the discharge end of the first conveyor belt. The rods are equally spaced apart at a distance that is less than the diameter of the cans and also slightly less than their height, thus causing all of the cans to assume the end down position and slide onto the second conveyor belt. The second belt is moved at a faster rate than the first belt and conveys the cans which are now spaced individually on the belt to its discharge end and onto a rotating feed disc. On the feed disc the final unscrambling takes place as the cans are moved centrifugally by deflectors and guide members to the outer edge of the disc from which the cans are discharged in single file order into a conveying chute that takes them to a labeling apparatus.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof taken with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation showing a can dumping and unscrambling apparatus embodying the principles of the invention, a portion of the apparatus has been broken oif and displaced to conserve space;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in end elevation showing the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the details of the lifting cradle.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-3 show an integrated can dumping and unscrambling apparatus 10, which in accordance with the principles of the invention is capable of handling even relatively soft metal containers without denting or damaging them in any way. Broadly speaking, my apparatus comprises the combination of a basket lifting cradle assembly 11, a first conveyor belt 12 arranged directly adjacent the cradle assembly, a second conveyor belt 13 in line with the first belt, a can positioning grate 14 between the two conveyor belts, and a rotary turntable 15 at the discharge end of the second conveyor belt 13. Together the aforesaid components cooperate to receive a multiplicity of randomly positioned cans as they are dumped from a retort basket, and then to unscramble and arrange them in single file order so that the cans will enter a conveyor line to facilitate labeling and packing.

The cradle assembly 11 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 16 that is journalled in a pair of bearings 17 secured to a fixed support frame 18. included as part of the cradle assembly 11 are a pair of frame members 19 attached to the shaft 15, and when the cradle is in the loading position, these members 19 extend vertically downwardly to a point just above the floor level. Attached to a cross member 2% extending between the ends of the frame members 19 are a pair of spaced apart channel track members 21 which extend at substantially right angles from the frame members 19 so that their outer ends may come close to contacting the floor level on which the fixed frame 18 rests. The channel track members 21 are adapted to receive and guide the wheels 22 of a standard retort basket 23 (as shown in FIG. 3) which contain a multiplicity of randomly scrambled cans that have been processed in the cooking retorts.

On the upper sides of the cradle assembly 11 are a pair of frame members 25 which extend outwardly at right angles from the vertical frame members 19 and are therefore substantially parallel to the channel tracks 21. The latter frame members 25 preferably have a right angle cross section with one flange 26 extending horizontally when the cradle assembly 11 is in the loading position (FIG. 3). Attached to the vertical flanges 27 of the frame members 25 are a pair of internal frame members 28 each having an upper flange 29 that is spaced below and parallel to the upper flange 26 on the angle members 25, and a lower flange 30 that extends downwardly and outwardly towards an adjacent vertical frame member 19. The horizontal flanges 26 and 29 of the members 25 and 28 thereby form a pair of horizontally spaced apart slots 31 in which is slidably mounted a flat control gate 32. Attached to the upper side of the gate 32 is a pair of spaced apart members 33 each having a rack of gear teeth. On the upper side of the flanges 26 of the angle members 25 are fixed a pair of aligned spaced apart bearings 34- adapted to support a gate control shaft 35. The shaft 35 is provided with a pair of pinion gears 36 fixed thereto which are spaced apart the same distance as and are therefore in mesh with the gear racks 33. At one end of the shaft 35 is a control wheel 37 for turning the shaft and the pinions 36, thereby controlling the movement of the sliding door by causing it to slide back and forth within the guide slots 31.

One end of the shaft 16 supporting the cradle assembly 11 extends outwardly from a fixed frame member 18, and to its end is fixed a large sprocket wheel 38. Attached to the sprocket 38 is a continuous chain 39 which is also connected to a drive sprocket 49 fixed to the end a of the shaft 41 of a drive motor 42 mounted on the upper end of an upwardly extended fixed frame member 18a. Fixed to the chain 39 is a pair of switch actuator members 43 and 44 that are adapted to engage a pair of limit switches 45 and 46, respectively, that are fixed to the frame member 180. These switches are of the conventional type and are placed so as to cause the drive motor to cut off automatically when extreme limits of travel of the chain are reached. This controls the amount of rotation of the main sprocket 33, and therefore prevents any tilting of the cradle assembly 11 beyond the desired maximum and minimum positions. For example, the actuation of the switch 45 stops the cradle assembly 11 in the down or basket loading position while actuation of switch 46 stops the cradle assembly in the maximum tilting or dumping position.

An important feature of my invention is the fact that the axis of the shaft 16 for the cradle assembly 11 is located only slightly above the level of the first conveyor belt 12. Thus, as the cans within a retort basket retained by the cradle assembly 11 slide out of the basket and through the sliding door 32, they will not fall any great distance on one another or onto the first conveyor belt. As shown in FIG. 1, an inclined can transfer plate 48 is attached to the frame 18 in a position extending between the members 19 of the cradle assembly 11 closely adjacent the shaft 16, and it serves to bridge the gap between the first conveyor belt 12 and the retort basket within the cradle assembly when the latter is tilted upward into the discharging position.

The first conveyor belt 12 is supported by a frame section 50 which is attached to the support frame 18. On the latter are fixed a pair of spaced apart adjustable bearing blocks 51 supporting a roller 53 adapted to support the conveyor belt 12. At the other end of the frame section 50 is another roller 54 supported by a pair of bearings 56 fixed to the frame section 50. Also fixed to the roller 54 is a drive sprocket 57 which is connected by a chain 58 to a sprocket 59 driven by a motor 61 which drives the main belt 12 at the predetermined constant speed.

The second conveyor belt 13 of flexible material is supported in a manner similar to the first conveyor belt 12, but on an adjoining frame section 65 that is shorter and lower than the frame section 50 of the first conveyor belt 12. At the inlet end of the second conveyor belt 13 a shaft or roller member 66 is supported by a pair of adjustable bearing blocks 67 and at its other end by a similar shaft or roller 69 supported by a pair of bearings 70. Attached to the roller 69 is a sprocket 71 around which is a continuous chain 72 connected to a sprocket '73 driven by a motor 75. The sizes of the sprockets 71 and 73 are such that the conveyor belt 13 is made to travel at a considerably higher lineal speed than the conveyor 12.

The can positioning means 14, which is an important element of my combined can dumping and unscrambling apparatus 10, comprises a series of inclined rods or bar members '76 that sloped downwardly from the discharge end of the first conveyor 12 to a point slightly beyond the inlet end of the second conveyor 13. The rods 76 are parallel to each other and evenly spaced apart at a distance that is less than the diameter of the cans being handled and also slightly less than the height of the cans. Thus, the cans being discharged from the end of the first conveyor belt 12, although they may be randomly spaced apart in the various positions that they have assumed after leaving the retort basket through the controllable door 32 now become unstacked and further unscrambled as they slide downwardly along the spaced apart rods 76. The cans not only cannot fall through the spaces between the rods, but the rods are narrow so that the cans cannot balance themselves and roll downwardly on edge. Therefore, cans that may still be on their cylindrical sides at the end of the first conveyor belt 12 are manipulated to assume the normal end down position by the can positioning rods 76 and all of the cans slide gently therefrom onto the second conveyor belt 13 in the nonrolling position. The can positioning rods 76 between the conveyor belts 12 and 13 are connected together by a transverse member 77 at one end that is closely adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor 12 so that no cans will contact it and be obstructed. At its opposite ends the transverse member 77 is fixed by a support member 78 to the frame section 69.

At the discharge end of the second conveyor belt 13 the cans are discharged down a sloping can transfer plate 79 that is supported by the frame 65 onto the turntable 15 which is being rotated at a constant velocity. The turntable is connected to a vertical shaft 80 supported in a pair of bearings 81 attached to a frame section 82 which is spaced from the frame section 65 for the second conveyor belt 13. A motor 83 attached to the frame section 82 has a drive sprocket 84 on its shaft 85 which is connected by a continuous chain 86 to a large sprocket 87 fixed to the shaft 80.

Attached to the frame section 82 and spaced above the upper surface of the disc-like turntable 15 is a pattern of guide members and deflectors which cause all of the cans sliding onto the disc 15 to form into a single file order near its periphery. As shown in FIG. 2, the outermost guide member or deflector 88 extends directly above the outer periphery of the disc at a height somewhat lower than the height of the cans being handled, and it extends from a point near one end of the can transfer plate 79 around the periphery of the disc 15 to a point near the opposite end of the transfer plate forming one side of an opening 89 where the cans are discharged from the disc in single file order. A second deflector member 90 extends from the first deflector member 88 initially with a portion 90a which extends to a height greater than the height of the cans being handled but less than the diameter of the cans. Beyond the portion 90a the member 90 curves around and lowers in a pattern parallel with and at the same height as the first deflector member 88, thereby forming a channel 91 that terminates at the aforesaid discharge opening 89. An auxiliary portion 92 of the second deflector member 90 extends upward and towards the center of the disc to form a can tipping portion that will upset any cans which may possibly arrive on the rotating disc 15 in the rolling or on-edge position. A third deflector member 93 on the disc 15 has a hook like shape and an outer portion 93a that initially extends upward from the peripheral deflector member 88 at a level slightly above the height of the can and also inwardly at an angle toward the discharge end of the second conveyor 13. inwardly from the portion 93a the deflector curves downwardly to a level below the height of the cans as it curves around towards the center of the disc. The latter deflector member 93 is adapted to direct cans sliding onto the central area of the disc towards its outer edge and thus into a single file line between the defiector members 88 and 90 leading to the dischrage position 89.

Reviewing now the operation of my can dumping and unscrambling apparatus 10, a retort basket 23 filled with a multiplicity of cans arranged in a randomly piled manner is rolled from the retort and onto the channel tracks 21 as shown in FIG. 3. A suitable cable strap (not shown) can be used to secure the basket to the cradle 11. The motor 42 is then energized, causing the sprocket 38 to be driven by the chain 39 in the counterclockwise position of FIG. 1, thereby causing the cradle assembly 11 to rotate upwardly. As the cradle assembly 11 rotates beyond the 90 degree point, the cans within the retort basket 23 are kept from falling out by the sliding gate 32. which is originally in the closed position. The motor 42 is controllable so that the cradle 11 can be positioned to any desired degree of incline, and when so positioned the control wheel 37 can be rotated to open the sliding gate 32 the desired amount. When this is done the cans will slide under the gate 32 and down the can transfer plate 48 at a controlled rate and onto the first conveyor belt 12. The latter carries the cans which may be stacked in any random position either in the normal flatwise position, or on edge in the rolling position toward its discharge end. At this point the cans slide down the rods 76 of the can positioning means 14. Any cans that are stacked on top of each other slide apart and those that are on edge fall into the flatwise position between the rods 76, so that with only a rare exception, the cans falling onto the second conveyor belt 13 are all in the normal no-rolling stable position. The second conveyor belt 13 moves at a faster lineal speed than the first conveyor belt 12 since the cans here are spaced farther apart, and at the discharge end of the second conveyor belt 13 the cans slide down the transfer plate 79 and onto the rotating disc 15. On the disc the cans are deflected by the members 90 and 93 and are ultimately moved by centrifugal force against the peripheral guide member 88 which directs them through the discharge opening 89.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. For use in a canning production line, a can dumping and unscrambling apparatus comprising in combination:

a cradle assembly for receiving and retaining a container having an open end and filled with a multiplicity of randomly arranged cans;

means for pivoting said cradle assembly and said container retained thereon from a loading position to an inclined dumping position;

a movable door on said cradle assembly for releasing the cans from the container at a controlled rate when the cradle assembly is tilted in the dumping position;

a first conveyor belt located closely adjacent said adjustable opening;

a second conveyor belt aligned with said first conveyor belt;

a can positioning means between said conveyor belts for placing all of said cans in the end-up non-rolling position;

and deflector and rotary means at the discharge end of said second conveyor for aligning the cams received therefrom into a single file order.

2. For use in a canning production line, a can dumping and unscrambling apparatus comprising in combination:

a cradle assembly for receiving and retaining a container having an open end and filled with a multiplicity of randomly arranged cans;

means for pivoting said cradle assembly and said container retained thereon from a loading position to any desired inclined dumping position;

a movable door on said cradle assembly for releasing the cans from the container at a controlled rate when the cradle assembly is tilted in the dumping position;

a first conveyor belt located closely adjacent said adjustable opening;

a second conveyor belt aligned with said first conveyor belt;

means for moving said second conveyor belt at a faster lineal speed than said first conveyor belt;

a can positioning means between said conveyor belts for placing all of said cans in the end-up non-rolling position including a plurality of spaced apart rods axially aligned with and extending between said first and said second conveyor belts, the spaces between said rods being less than the diameter and only slightly less than the height of the cans;

and deflector means at the discharge end of said second conveyor for aligning the cans received therefrom into a single file order.

3. For use in a canning production line, a can dumping and unscrambling apparatus comprising in combination:

a cradle assembly for receiving and retaining a container having an open end and filled with a multiplicity of randomly arranged cans;

means for pivoting said cradle assembly and said con tainer retained thereon from a loading position to an inclined dumping position;

a movable door on said cradle assembly located adjacent the open end of said container supported thereon;

means for controlling the movement of said door to provide an opening for releasing the cans from the container at a controlled rate when the cradle assembly is tilted upward into the dumping position;

a first conveyor belt located closely adjacent said adjustable opening;

a second conveyor belt aligned with said first conveyor belt;

a can positioning means between said conveyor belts for causing all of said cans to assume the end-up non-rolling position when they engage said second conveyor;

and deflector and rotary means at the discharge end of said second conveyor for aligning the cans received therefrom into a single file order.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein the pivotal axis of said cradle assembly is only located slightly above the inlet end of said first conveyor belt.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 3 including means attached to said cradle assembly for bridging the gap to said first conveyor belt and providing an inclined slide for the cans released from said container.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said can positioning means includes a plurality of spaced apart rods axially aligned with and extending between said first and said second conveyor belts, the spaces be- 7 tween said rods being less than the diameter and only slightly less than the height of the cans.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said turntable means comprises a rotatable disc, and guide means extending above said disc for deflecting cans sliding into said disc toward its outer edge and through a discharge opening in single file order.

8. For use in a canning production line, can dumping and unscrambling apparatus comprising in combination:

a cradle assembly for receiving a container filled with cans and having an open end;

means for pivoting said cradle assembly by an amount greater than 90 from a loading position for receiving said container to an inclined dumping position;

means on said cradle assembly providing a pair of spaced apart slots;

a movable door slidably retained within said slots on one side of said cradle assembly and located adjacent the open end of said container supported thereon, said door thereby preventing the release of cans from said container when said cradle assembly is in the inclined dumping position and said door is closed;

means for controlling the lineal movement of said door within said slots to provide an opening for releas- 8 ing the cans from said container at a controlled rate; and conveyor belt means adjacent said cradle assembly for receiving the cans discharged through the opening provided by said door.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein said means for controlling said door includes a pair of parallel, spaced apart gear racks on the outside of said door, a shaft supported by bearings on said cradle assembly, and a pair of pinions on said shaft in mesh with said gear racks, whereby rotation of said shaft moves said door in said slots.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,576,338 3/1926 Ladd 19845 2,389,496 11/1945 Gagnon et a1. l98-32 2,519,491 8/1950 Monaco 19835 2,596,339 5/1952 Lufkin 21430O X 2,941,682 6/1960 Keys 214318 X 2,973,109 2/1961 Gable 198-33 X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN A CANNING PRODUCTION LINE, A CAN DUMPING AND UNSCRAMBLING APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A CRADLE ASSEMBLY FOR RECEIVING AND RETAINING A CONTAINER HAVING AN OPEN END AND FILLED WITH A MULTIPLICITY OF RANDOMLY ARRANGED CANS; MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID CRADLE ASSEMBLY AND SAID CONTAINER RETAINED THEREON FROM A LOADING POSITION TO AN INCLINED DUMPING POSITION; A MOVABLE DOOR ON SAID CRADLE ASSEMBLY FOR RELEASING THE CANS FROM THE CONTAINER AT A CONTROLLED RATE WHEN THE CRADLE ASSEMBLY IS TILTED IN THE DUMPING POSITION; A FIRST CONVEYOR BELT LOCATED CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID ADJUSTABLE OPENING; A SECOND CONVEYOR BELT ALIGNED WITH SAID FIRST CONVEYOR BELT; A CAN POSITIONING MEANS BETWEEN SAID CONVEYOR BELTS FOR PLACING ALL OF SAID CANS IN THE END-UP NON-ROLLING POSITION; AND DEFLECTOR AND ROTARY MEANS AT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID SECOND CONVEYOR FOR ALIGNING THE CAMS RECEIVED THEREFROM INTO A SINGLE FILE ORDER. 